Artist Sonia Singh gives dolls a 'makeunder' to give them childlike look

What would a Bratz doll look like without heavy eyeshadow, mascara, and plumped-up lips? Something like Sonia Singh's Tree Change Dolls! The 35-year-old science communicator and illustrator started repainting and restyling second-hand plastic dolls, after she lost her job due to science funding cuts late last year. She buys discarded dolls from op and second-hand shops, markets and tip shops. Two small cotton balls, nail polish remover and eucalyptus oil is all it takes to remove the factory face paint. She then paints on a more natural child-like look with Jo Sonja's artists' acrylic paint. After their makeover, or in this case makeunder, you'll find the dolls out in the garden—sharing secrets, flying kites or swinging on a tyre swing. 

“I wanted to start an 'upcyling' project (recycling something to create an item of higher value than the original),” explains Sonia. “I work with dolls, because I loved dolls as a child and I find so many old dolls in second-hand shops and markets. I was inspired by my childhood; my sisters and I loved playing outdoors with our second-hand dolls, in Tasmania's natural environment.” 

Some dolls are discarded, because their snap-on feet or shoes have been lost. Sonia creates new feet and shoes with home-made mouldable silicone. Her mum, Silvia, an expert at sewing and knitting, makes the dolls' clothes. “She made a lot of clothes for us and our toys when we were children. She taught me to draw, paint, knit and sew,” shares Sonia. 

Why the name Tree Change Dolls? Treechange is an Australian term that refers to a lifestyle choice of moving from the city to a rural area to be closer to nature and to enjoy a slower-paced, more relaxed life. Sonia, whose dad is Indian and mum is Australian, was born in Melbourne, Australia but spent her childhood and university years in Tasmania. Having lived and worked in cities across Australia, she moved back to Tasmania to raise a family, three years ago. 

Sonia, who lives in Hobart, Tasmania with her partner John and two-year-old daughter, has worked on almost 100 dolls, since she started nearly four months ago. She prefers to work on dolls with child-proportioned faces and bodies, “because I wish to style Tree Change Dolls as children, rather than adults. I recreate the type of dolls I would have loved as a child. I also love to give each one their own personality and character”. Her daughter has red hair, so the red-haired dolls she has styled with her daughter in mind are her favourites. What do kids think of them? “You can kind of think they're the same age as you,” says one little girl in a video Sonia has posted on her website. “This one kind of looks like my friend Maggie,” says another. 

While she had no intention of making a statement with the dolls, she is happy her work is bringing up important issues related to girls and women, including the make-up and styling of dolls available. “I'm glad people are talking about toys that will encourage children's imaginations and that so many families are spending time together 'making under' their dolls.” 

The next time you think of chucking out a broken doll, think again. Sonia has How-To tutorials on YouTube for those interested in restyling their old dolls. “I can only restyle so many dolls, so I encourage others to get creative. I receive many requests for custom dolls, but I am too busy to take orders. I also get a lot of requests from people wanting to donate dolls, but I don't accept donations. If I did, I might get truckloads!” shares Sonia.

She sells the dolls as well as knitting patterns online through her Etsy shop. She posts about 20 dolls every two weeks. Each group of dolls sells out within minutes. Every month, she auctions one doll for charity on eBay. While her May auction supports Kailash Satyarthi's Global March Against Child Labour, she has also supported the Tasmanian Land Conservancy and the International Women's Development Agency. The March and April charity dolls sold for AUD 1,600 each, the May charity doll sold for AUD 1,225.

Tree Change Dolls is her job for now. "I've had offers from around the world to put on art shows, work with a puppet theatre, manufacture dolls, design a children's clothing range and more,” says Sonia. But she only works on the dolls when her daughter is in childcare (three days a week) and when she is asleep. “It takes a lot of time, but it's very rewarding".